A Date with Destiny
by That Anon Writer
Summary: Trouble rears its bored face as a simple visit to May takes an odd turn, and Ash, Brock, Dawn, May, and Max find themselves in the future under the care of a terribly unamused Drew. Things just continue going downhill from there.
1. Welcome to the Future

**A Date with Destiny**

_Chapter One:_

_Welcome to the Future!_

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><p>"Hey Brock, did'ja hear?" Ash and company—that is, Brock and Dawn—were currently on their way home from the Sinnoh League, and had chosen to stop for a short lunch break before making their respective ways back to their separate home towns. Dawn and Brock both turned to their friend, wondering what he was referring to exactly. "May gave me a phone call yesterday and told me that she placed second at the Johto Grand Festival! Is that awesome, or what?" Immediately, both companions perked up.<p>

"Wow, May got second? That's so cool!" Dawn commented, thinking about her own second placing in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. "I was kind of hoping she'd win, though, you know?" Brock just grinned.

"Well, with competition like Harley, Drew, and Soledad, it's still a job really well done to make it to second place. Did she tell you who won?"

Ash shook his head, "Nah, it was a really quick call, so after she told me she got second place, she didn't really have a chance to tell me all about it. I think she said she was catching a boat back to Petalburg City to see her family." Pikachu gave its two cents from Ash's shoulder before finding interest elsewhere. Brock nodded, soaking up the information. Suddenly, Dawn jumped up from her seat, catching the attentions of her two male friends.

"Hey guys! Don't you think it'd be a good idea to go and see her? You know, as a surprise congratulatory visit! I was just thinking of heading to Hoenn anyways to enter in the contests there, so it'd let me kill two birds with one stone _and_ we'd get to see May!"

Ash nodded excitedly, jumping off of his own seat and slightly startling his Pikachu, "That's a great idea, Dawn! Not to mention I can tell her about how I did in the Sinnoh League. How about you, Brock? You gonna come with us?"

Brock chuckled, "I don't see why not. It'd be a refreshing experience for all of us." Dawn and Ash cheered audibly and were already prepping their departure.

"Guess what, Pikachu? We're gonna get to see May again! Won't that be cool?" Pikachu gave an equally excited cry from its new perch on Ash's shoulder as said trainer and his friends dashed out the door to catch the nearest boat to the Hoenn region.

"I can't wait to see May again! Maybe this time I'll get to learn how contests are in Johto since we got interrupted last time," Dawn squealed as she, Ash, and Brock walked towards the quaint Gym-slash-home that belonged to the Norman, the Petalburg gym leader, and his family.

"And it'll be so much fun catching up! We haven't seen her since the Wallace Cup, after all!" Ash piped in, Pikachu mimicking its trainer's enthusiasm. The small group made their way to the front door of the house, Brock having been bestowed the honor of knocking on the door. From outside, Ash and company heard muffled voices from seemingly different ends of the small house until one grew louder and closer to the door.

"Don't knock again, I'm right here!" The somewhat muffled, thus barely recognizable, voice shouted from within as the door swung open to reveal the person they had been making the trip to see. May stood before them, surprise and shock, though lacking any negativity, evident. She was dressed in her Johto-wear, sans the head scarf and fanny pack, and her expression of surprise quickly shifted to that of unbridled joy and cheer.

"May/Dawn!" Came the simultaneous voices of the two girls as they shared an enthusiastic embrace before pulling away after a second or two. Ash and Brock only grinned widely as Pikachu jumped into May's open arms for a shared embrace of its own.

"It's great to see ya again, May!" May smiled brightly at her first travelling companion and first mentor in Pokemon as Pikachu still lay in her arms.

"I could say the same thing to you guys! What're you doing here anyway?"

Brock stepped in, "Ash told us about you getting second place in the Johto Grand Festival, and we all decided to pay you a visit and congratulate you on making the Finals." If it was possible, May's smile stretched even more.

"Wow, thanks! C'mon in, I wanna hear all about the Sinnoh Grand Festival and the Sinnoh League, too," May chirped, stepping aside to let her friends through the door. Norman, Caroline, and Max shared greetings with Dawn, Brock, and Ash as they all settled comfortably in the living room and exchanged stories of their adventures since they had all last seen one another. Ash detailed his getting into the Top 4 in the Sinnoh League and his fierce battle against Paul—while also giving a description of his purple-haired rival to those who didn't know him—while Dawn shared her own experiences in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. Partway through the storytelling, Norman had gotten up to cater to some trainers stopping by to challenge the Petalburg gym leader and Caroline had gone to get some errands done.

"Seems like you guys have been really busy," May commented after the stories had been told, and the two returned with a "You bet!"

"Tell us about the Johto Grand Festival! I've been _dying_ to hear it ever since Ash mentioned it," Dawn begged, looking expectantly at a giggling May.

"Well, you guys probably could've guessed, but it was really tough. Harley, Drew, Soledad and I ended up being in the Top 4, so of course we all battled against each other. I had to battle against Soledad, so I was really worried that I wouldn't make it to the Finals, but after a really grueling battle, I managed to win because the timer ran out. I was so relieved that I couldn't even hear the crowd cheering around me! It was really crazy," May recounted, earning her several approvals from her friends.

"Yeah, it was one of the best battles I've ever seen!" Max interjected from beside his sister, the awe in his voice noticeable. "But the best battle was in the Finals. Man, that was one heck of a battle!"

Ash turned to May, his voice curious, "So, who'd ya end up battling in the Finals? Harley or Drew?"

"I have a feeling it was Drew, huh?" Brock said, a grin visible on his face as May happily nodded.

"Drew's battle against Harley was really awesome, too, but he knocked out Harley's Pokemon before time ran out. I almost thought Harley was going to find a way to turn the battle around, but he wasn't able to in the end."

"Are you kidding me? Drew won that battle by a landslide!" Max disagreed from his end. "Harley looked like he was gonna win at the very beginning, but about a minute in, it was obvious he didn't stand a chance."

"I guess I didn't notice that. I must have been still getting over the shock that I beat Soledad," May admitted sheepishly, "but I have to say, that battle was nothing compared to the one in the Finals. Drew used his Absol and his Butterfree while I used Glaceon and Wartortle, and I couldn't relax for even a _second_ the whole time! It was like my battle against him in the Kanto Grand Festival all over again, but much more intense since we'd both improved a lot. The battle went on until the timer ran out, but unlike the Kanto Festival, both of our Pokemon made it all the way to the end this time. The match ended in a really close tie with both of us having the same, small amount of points left, so we continued into Overtime. It was amazingly intense."

"No kidding. You guys were in Overtime for almost ten minutes! I may not have been in the crowd, but I think everyone who _wasn't_ there could tell that the entire audience was on the edge of its seat the whole time. I bet everyone watching on TV was glued to their seat, too."

"Wow, that sounds so awesome! I wish I coulda been there to see it!" Ash exclaimed, pumping his fists as the idea of such a fierce battle energized him. Dawn seemed to agree, though she was a tad less psyched.

"Ash's right, that's amazing! Since you came in second, though, that means this Drew guy must've won, right?" May nodded, though not a trace of sadness or disappointment could be found on her visage.

"Yeah, but after a battle like that, losing to him really didn't matter all that much. We shook hands afterwards, and then the award ceremony took place. And, of course, the after party."

"Let me guess, Drew left early this time, too? Seems to be a trait of his to leave right after the Festival's over," Brock added in, his voice containing a somewhat implicative edge to it. Max caught on to what Brock was attempting to imply, and subtly grinned.

"Mm-hm. He told me he was going back home to LaRousse City before deciding on where he was heading to next."

"And I suppose he left you a gift this time, too?" Max casually but slyly tossed in to the conversation. A barely visible blush spread on May's face as she simply nodded, which made Dawn curious as to what they were talking about.

"A gift? What do you mean?" Dawn turned confusedly towards the other occupants of the room, from Max's snickering face to Ash's somewhat lost one to Brock's knowing grin. May had ever-so-subtly begun poking her index fingers together, being unable to bring herself to answer the question. Her younger brother just playfully nudged at their breeder friend and exchanged knowing glances.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's just that her rival seems to have a thing about giving her _roses_ after stuff like this happens," Max replied with all the nonchalance he would use while talking about the weather. The inner romantic in Dawn seemed to suddenly overtake her as she squealed girlishly at the idea.

"Oh my gosh, that's so romantic!" She giggled, before something came to mind. "Wait, but, if he's your rival, why's he giving you roses?" May chose this moment to find her voice and force herself to stop twiddling her fingers.

"Well, the first time he did it, which was a really long time ago, he said it was for my Beautifly. I never really thought to question it after the first few times, so I just accepted them without asking. I guess I can't really ask him _now_, since I don't even know when I'll be seeing him again…" Dawn tsk'd at May, wagging her finger in a "no" fashion.

"C'mon, May! That's such a _lame_ excuse! He was obviously giving them to you and using your Beautifly as an excuse! What kind of roses were they?" Instead of answering vocally, May produced the brilliant red rose from her fanny pack, which had been thrown onto the opposite end of the couch. Before May could pass it over to the blue-haired girl, it was swiped from her fingertips and underwent meticulous inspection by said blue-haired girl.

"A thorn-less red rose? May, do you have _any_ idea what that means?" Dawn cried out excitedly, raising the single rose up as if it were the Holy Grail itself. Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn saw the particularly clueless look on May's face, as well as a raised eyebrow at the strange, worshipping pose the bluenette was in. She sighed in frustration, somehow delicately swinging the rose to and fro in front of May's bewildered eyes. "It means—"

"Prepare for trouble!" A womanly voice shouted from seemingly nowhere. If it were possible, May's eyebrow went even higher.

"A thorn-less red rose means…prepare for trouble?" Now it was the brunette's turn to receive odd looks.

"And make it double!" Came a more manly voice from a completely different direction, followed by a loud explosion in front of the house. It only took half a second for Ash to spring up from his seat, an agonized look on his face.

"It's Team Rocket!" The boy explained before dashing out the door, his friends in tow. True to his word, outside of the house stood the team of unbelievably incompetent criminals and their typical Meowth hot air balloon. The group took notice of a new mechanism in James's hands, and before the group of evil-doers could utter another word of their favorite motto…

"Pikachu, use Thunder on them!" In an instant, a flash of lightning swooped down and electrocuted Team Rocket in a burst of lights and loud noises, causing James to drop the machine in his hand and, against all laws of _anything_, sending the trio flying into the atmosphere.

"What's the big idea, Twerp?" Jessie screamed as she and her cohorts sailed through the air towards an unknown destination.

"We didn't even get to finish our motto," James moaned, though it lacked any real disappointment.

"I tink dey're gettin' tired of our motto."

"Or us, for that matter."

"Who cares? They're the good guys! They should have the decency to let us finish our traditional introduction!" And with that final proclamation, they disappeared from view in a twinkling. On the ground, Brock and Max took notice of the now sparking machine that lay forgotten after Team Rocket's blasting off. It did not explode, as was expected of most of Team Rocket's contraptions, and simply sat there, sparking dangerously with Pikachu's high voltage attack.

"That…whatever-it-is that Team Rocket brought with them this time looks like it's gonna explode any minute now. We should probably get it away from the premises," Brock decided, and the group knew that if Brock suggested it—granted it had nothing to do with women and wooing tactics—it was probably a good idea.

"Looks like it'll zap anybody who touches it. We should probably use a ground-type Pokemon to carry it," Max suggested, eyeing the zapped box intently. They all looked to each other, wondering which one of them had a Ground-type on hand until Brock pulled a Pokeball from his pocket.

"I have Sudowoodo with me, so I think that should work just as well. C'mon out!" He clicked the button on the pokeball, and in a flash of light, the Rock-type Pokemon materialized, crying a greeting to its trainer. "We need you to carry that machine over there somewhere into the forest where, if it explodes, won't destroy anything. Be careful."

"_Sudo!_" It said before trotting over to the contraption, which had suddenly stopped sparking. The adolescents stood what they believed to be a safe distance away from the object, in case it blew up in their faces. Just as Sudowoodo found itself reaching for the machine, it burst, and engulfed Sudowoodo and the teens in a wide radius of blinding white light, successfully causing them all to lift their arms up to shield their eyes. Dawn opened her mouth to try and scream for her friends, but found that her voice refused to come out, and her vision was practically nullified.

It was indefinite how much time they spent in the seemingly white space, but when they all came to, it was nothing as they had expected. The first to rise was Dawn, and the first thing she noticed was that they weren't in a dirt field anymore, and that they weren't facing a forest.

"Guys, wake up!" Dawn hissed to her friends, who all groggily sat up and yawned, as if they had all been asleep moments before. The sleepiness left them suddenly, and they were wide awake in only moments. Surveying the surroundings, they all decided on one thing: they weren't at the Petalburg Gym anymore.

"Wh…Where are we?" May asked quietly, the place they were in unfamiliar to her. They all seemed to find it unfamiliar as well because nobody answered her. It seemed as though they were in a small room, four cream-colored walls surrounding them. Along one wall was a small desk littered with pokeballs and some seemingly high-tech gadgets, as well as a few pieces of crumpled paper. Clothes lay sprawled on the floor in a disorderly manner and, in the corner, a twin-sized bed was placed. Before any of them could speak another word, rustling was heard on the bed as the blankets began to shift wildly and very quiet murmurs could be heard. They all froze in fear. As they looked at each other, Brock brought his finger up to his lips and motioned for all of them to get into a standing position as quietly as they possibly could. In a minute or two, they all found themselves tip-toeing towards the bed, their curiosity beating out their urge to run through the door and out of the building.

"Maybe we should leave…" Max whispered to his friends, although he, too, wanted to know exactly whose room they had unknowingly barged into. It was too late to agree or refute that comment, however, because the two girls and two boys were already crowding around the person lying on his or her side facing the wall. Through the layers of rumpled bed sheets and randomly strewn clothes, the first thing to catch their eyes was green. There were more mumbles as the sleeping person, who was now identified as having green hair, rolled over towards the crowding teens. In an instant, four pairs of eyes widened in surprise, shock, and disbelief.

"I-Is that…_Drew?_" May whispered harshly to her companions, forgetting to be as quiet as she intended due to her obvious surprise. The others had begun jumping at her to cover her mouth and shush her, but froze when they heard the sheets begin to rustle again, the stranger's eyes beginning to open.

"…May…?" Came a very low mumble as a large, calloused hand rubbed at his eyes. Then, it hit May that this guy looked too old to be Drew, though it didn't explain how he had the same green hair, the same emerald eyes, and knew her name. Not to mention his voice was too deep. The green-haired man blinked once, then twice—the group assumed it was to clear his vision—before his eyes took on a whole new, brilliant glow to them. From what they could see, the groggy expression in his eyes took an almost immediate shift to that of unbridled happiness, clear surprise, and something they couldn't identify. In that instant, none of them took even the slightest notice of the room's door come crashing down, nor did they hear the demanding voice that accompanied it.

They were too busy staring in utter shock as May was pulled into a rough kiss.


	2. Meet the Family

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys. Also, I didn't mention it last chapter, but sorry if I get some of the information wrong about their current Pokemon or their canon achievements. I haven't really caught up all the way with the Diamond and Pearl series yet. Not to mention I haven't even bothered with the Unova series yet. This makes me miss the old Pokemon so much. **

**I don't own Pokemon.**

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><p><strong>A Date with Destiny<strong>

_Chapter Two:_

_Meet the Family_

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><p><em>LAST CHAPTER:<em>

"_I-Is that…Drew?" May whispered harshly to her companions, forgetting to be as quiet as she intended due to her obvious surprise. The others had begun jumping at her to cover her mouth and shush her, but froze when they heard the sheets begin to rustle again, the stranger's eyes beginning to open._

"…_May…?" Came a very low mumble as a large, calloused hand rubbed at his eyes. Then, it hit May that this guy looked too old to be Drew, though it didn't explain how he had the same green hair, the same emerald eyes, and knew her name. Not to mention his voice was too deep. The green-haired man blinked once, then twice—the group assumed it was to clear his vision—before his eyes took on a whole new, brilliant glow to them. From what they could see, the groggy expression in his eyes took an almost immediate shift to that of unbridled happiness, clear surprise, and something they couldn't identify. In that instant, none of them took even the slightest notice of the room's door come crashing down, nor did they hear the demanding voice that accompanied it._

_They were too busy staring in utter shock as May was pulled into a rough kiss._

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><p>Lost.<p>

It was the first thought that came to May's mind as she was being forced to kiss this person who looked an awful lot like Drew. She wasn't sure if _she_ was the one feeling that way as she was slowly losing herself to his overpowering stench—which she couldn't tell was good or bad because two smells were conflicting with each other and seemingly cancelling each other out for a very strong, kind of neutral scent, if that made _any_ sense at all (no pun intended)—and the fact that, she grudgingly admitted, he was a _very_ good kisser; or _he_ was the one with the overwhelming sense of having been lost, though she wasn't sure why he would feel that way in the first place. By the time May could process anything else happening, the kiss ended, and she realized by the hurt expression on the man's handsome face that it was because she hadn't responded in the slightest to his advance. Through the awkwardness of the situation, they finally noticed the person that had inevitably kicked down the door, literally.

"_Drew Hayden_, _get your sorry ass out of bed!_" They all peered over curiously at the new arrival, who, much to their surprise, looked almost exactly like Dawn would in the next ten or twenty years. Her hair was the same midnight blue, still as glossy and well-kept as usual, and reached her mid-back. Her outfit, however, consisted of a pair of denim short shorts and an oversized white T-shirt. Though it was incredibly simple, the curvy young woman was still able to make it look beyond decent, as was noticed by the adolescent Pokemon breeder. She stood at the doorway, tapping her foot impatiently with her hands at her hips, an angry frown on her face. That is, until she realized that there were five other people in the room that shouldn't have been there.

"Uhh…what exactly is going on here?" The older Dawn took a glance around the room, and easily identified all of the new faces. "…May? Is that you?" The brunette slowly found it in herself to nod at the question. The future Dawn looked about ready to squeal in excitement, but suddenly stopped herself when she took a closer look. Reaching over to a wall, she flicked a light switch, causing the entire room to light up. All six of the room's occupants heard a yawn come from the bed as a now completely visible Drew Hayden stretched his arms high over his head.

"Dawn? Why're you here so early?" He muttered, then stopped. "…No pun intended." Ignoring the five teenagers, Dawn went back into her angry stance, this time crossing her arms over her chest.

"It isn't early, ya know. How do you even know what time it is? There isn't a single clock in your room…or your apartment."

"My biological clock isn't wrong." Dawn pfft'd from the doorway.

"Well, congratulations, there's a first for everything. It's already two hours past noon, so you better get your ass out of bed and into the shower. We have to attend that baby shower, remember? And I'm not sure how Paul is holding up with Rosie." There was a mixture of grumbles and low curses as the man swung his feet over the side of his bed and stretched one more time before standing up to find his clothes. This gave Ash and company the time to examine him fully. While he stood, he easily towered over all of them—including the future Dawn—being at least six foot three, a huge change from his extremely short, ten year old self. His hair hadn't changed, and it looked like he got it cut regularly so it wouldn't be too long or too short. He was definitely muscular, judging by the defined muscles on his arms and his bare chest, but he was also very lean. His face lacked baby fat, and his features more defined. The two girls from the past slash present time blushed a healthy shade of red, which caused future Dawn to giggle quietly and unnoticeably into her hand.

"What time's that baby shower again?" Drew asked while he was pulling random clothes from the closet that nobody had noticed before. His voice, as they realized, was much deeper than they had remembered it to be, and it was much smoother. Future Dawn sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It starts in an hour. But, knowing Misty, she'll want us to be there early. Unless _you_ want to deal with her hissy fit again." Speaking of voices, Dawn's had become less high-pitched and scratchy. Drew muttered a tiny "no" as he made his way over to the small bathroom connected to his room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Future Dawn then turned to the five kids, her angry face gone and replaced with confusion.

"Okay, I think we all have some explaining to do," she said, earning nods from the other five. "C'mon, let's go out to the kitchen. We can talk there."

"So…you guys are from the past, huh?" They had all settled at the tiny square dining table a few feet away from the compact kitchen, Brock having explained what happened and how they ended up in the future.

"We're not really sure why or even how we got here, but it looks like we're here to stay for a while."

"What exactly is going on, anyway? We randomly land in Future Drew's room, and, out of nowhere, he kisses me!" May suddenly cried out. Future Dawn's expression darkened slightly before she cleared her throat.

"Well, I don't know if you were somehow purposely sent to this period in time, based on how you got here. Based on the way the me in the past in dressed, I'd probably say that you landed about fifteen years into the future. I'm 26 along with Paul, Zoey, and Kenny; Drew is 28; Ash, Misty and Gary are 30; Brock is 34. Oh, and Max's 22. As for you, May, well…there's quite a story behind that. But before I tell you about that one, you all need to know what's happened in these last fifteen years. I guess we'll start from Ash," Dawn stated, looking towards the very lost looking Ash Ketchum.

"In these fifteen years, Ash went on to a new region, the Unova region. He competed there, and then returned home again. The rest is an incredibly long piece of history, that's for sure, so I'll cut to the chase. Basically, Ash went on to become a Pokemon Master, as he always dreamed, and re-competed in all of the Leagues he had already battled in. He eventually became a Champion, and he stands in the Top 10 Trainers in the world. You can probably imagine that that took a whole lot of time, and a chunk out of his life, and it did. He decided to temporarily retire from training when he turned 24, trying to fulfill his mother's wish of him finally settling down with a nice girl and having a family. He went home to Pallet Town, and after a half a year of awkward courting and arguments the size of Kanto, he decided to ask Misty out as his official girlfriend."

From his seat, Ash turned a dark shade of red as the other four grinned knowingly at him.

"I always _knew_ you had a thing for Misty!" May squealed, and Dawn agreed wholeheartedly, both ignoring Ash's very ineffective protests. Brock just chuckled good naturedly at one of his best friends, having already suspected that their bickering was concealing much more than they let on. Max openly snickered at the boy, who was lost for words and out of fight.

"I already told you, I don't like her that way. She's my best friend!" Ash muttered to nobody in particular, though everyone ignored him.

"So anyway, they officially started dating, which had the press going _crazy_. The headlines were mostly filled with exclusive details on Kanto's hottest couple for _weeks_. They dated for five years, with the usual extreme ups and downs, and just last year, Ash decided to propose. They got married a few months after their engagement, and the whole thing was a pretty big deal for the longest time. From what I hear around, people still like talking about it. In fact, today we're attending their baby shower! Misty was so excited about the baby that the moment she knew about it, she told everyone we knew. I remember the day that Ash found out, his face hurt after smiling so much all day long. That was _after_ he fainted, though." Dawn pondered, placing her finger to her chin. More snickers arose from the group as Ash blushed an even brighter red.

"So, what happened to Misty? You know, before they started dating and settling down and stuff," Dawn asked excitedly, the stories making her anxious to hear her own. Future Dawn smiled at her past self's enthusiasm before continuing her story.

"Misty mostly just stayed at the Cerulean Gym as its Gym Leader. She did, however, continue on to be a very strong Water-type trainer. She and Ash regularly have friendly Pokemon battles to keep their Pokemon in shape, and she can _definitely_ hold her own against a Champion. Her gym's starting to gain some fame with all the news about her and Ash, as well as for her battle skills. It's one of the tougher gyms to beat nowadays. While she's pregnant, she has leave from Gym duties, though, so her sisters are finally taking control over the gym again," Dawn explained. "Speaking of her sisters…Daisy finally settled down with Tracey, and they have two kids. She's still part of the Sensational Sisters, and if anything, she's gained even _more_ popularity."

"So, what happened with me?" May asked, curious as to how her future turned out. She faintly wondered how long it had been, since Future Drew was still in the shower. Future Dawn grew saddened once more, though this time she began to tell the story.

"Well, I think I kept in touch with you the most after I separated from Ash and Brock. We used to videophone each other every week at least twice to talk about our adventures. You, along with Drew and I, became Top Coordinators. Future you has a total of five Ribbon Cups, and you're pretty famous. Unfortunately, you weren't too happy knowing that Drew still had you beat with his seven. I'm almost tied with you at four, and Kenny and Zoey have two and three, respectively. Your friends Soledad and Harley each hold three Ribbon Cups. Soledad, after her third Ribbon Cup, decided to retire from the coordinating life and settle down with, guess who, Harley." At this, Future Dawn giggled.

"Soledad and…_Harley?_ I never would've guessed," Max blinked, and both Ash and Brock agreed. Dawn, having little idea of who they were, decided that a copied reaction would be best.

"Well, Soledad _did_ say she liked Harley once…I didn't think it was anything beyond just liking his weirdness, though," May added, looking only slightly shocked at the news.

"I think _everyone_ was pretty surprised by it. But enough about them, you'll probably meet them at some point while you're here anyway. Going back to your story, you and I met up completely by coincidence in the Kanto region when you were 16 and I was 14. We chose to travel together since we were both headed to the same places, and after you won the Kanto Ribbon Cup that year, Drew decided to ask you out as his girlfriend in front of the entire audience. Seriously, he had a whole bouquet of roses and everything. The only thing missing from his presentation was your answer." Now, it was May's turn to blush a cherry red.

"From the way he used to give ya roses, it was pretty obvious that he liked you," Max sniggered, enjoying the thoroughly embarrassed look on his sister's face. Ash looked a tad oblivious to it, but decided to poke fun at her as revenge for earlier.

"So, lemme guess, she said 'yes', right?" Dawn asked excitedly, inching closer to the edge of her seat. Future Dawn laughed.

"Actually, she said no." This caused five faces to go into shock. "Drew's face looked exactly like your guys' when she said it, and the whole audience was just as surprised. And, of course, he asked her why afterwards. She told him some junk that I called some serious—excuse the language—BS on later, and over the course of three months, she finally realized that she felt the same way. Oddly enough, she ran into him on her way back home, and she told me that after a bit of awkward chatting, she let her feelings spill. They became official after that, and it was pretty big news to Hoenn. They dated for the next three years, and, once again on live, national television, he proposed to her after he won his third Ribbon Cup. It was probably one of the cheesiest, most romantic speeches I have ever heard…at least, on TV."

"He sure is a showoff," Max commented. Future Dawn just shrugged.

"What can you say? Lots of girls are flattered when their guy expresses his love in front of other people. I'd _love_ it if my boyfriend did that for me, but hey, it's difficult enough to get Paul to be anything but an ice block most of the time." The younger Dawn suddenly had a sour look on her face as Ash and Brock were both shocked.

"You mean I end up with _Paul_? You've _got_ to be _kidding_ me."

"Sorry, I'm not kidding you. Trust me, it's still hard for me to believe, but that's how it turned out. And honestly, it isn't all that bad, you'll see."

"Guys, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to hear the end of my story," May deadpanned from her end of the table. Future Dawn cleared her throat again as she began once more.

"So, he proposed to you with a beautiful engagement ring—remind me to show it to you later—and you said yes. You guys got married on Christmas Day that same year, and a few months later, you announced yourself as the first of our little group to have a kid. We were all more excited than shocked, although that was a bit weird since you were only 20 at that time and it seemed _way_ too early. We were okay with it, though, after we noticed just how happy you were, and you told us that after you told Drew about it, he went speechless and began crying. It was definitely shocking to hear that."

"Whoa, Drew? _Crying_? I'm surprised the world hasn't ended already," Ash said in wonderment, finding it hard to believe. "Then again, I think Soledad told us he cried after losing his first contest, too. Why he'd cry after finding out that May was having a baby, on the other hand…"

"Well, they were probably tears of joy, right?" Dawn asked her older self, who nodded.

"Definitely. Their daughter's name is Rosalind, but we just call her Rosie. She's 7, going on 8 this year. As the first child in our group, she's like a little princess. As if her parents didn't spoil her enough—and trust me, Drew spoils that little girl enough for him, May, and all of her grandparents _combined_—everybody else loves her to death. And who wouldn't? She's positively _adorable_. I think Paul's coming around with her so we can all go to the baby shower together. Something tells me that Ash and Misty's kid is going to be spoiled exactly the same way." Future Dawn just squealed at the thought of another baby in their midst, and the sudden high-pitched noise caught them off-guard. "So, you guys were happily married for about eight years. There were the occasional small fights, but they weren't anything you guys didn't get over after a few hours. Sometimes, the gang would come over to your apartment in the mornings because Drew would wake up early to make breakfast. You guys continued coordinating, but you took turns for adventuring because Rosie was too young to be travelling."

"Wait a second, what do you mean '_were_ happily married'? Did something happen?" May asked, worried for her future. Future Dawn hesitated for a moment before sighing. She drummed her fingers nervously on the tabletop before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"Well…you see, it was very recent. A few months ago, you came back from an adventure in the Johto region after having won yet another Ribbon Cup. It was your fifth one. You, Drew and Rosie spent time together, the usual things. And then, one day, Drew told me that he woke up one morning and you were just…gone. Since you were married and everything, you shared the queen-sized bed that used to be in his room, and apparently, you weren't there in the morning. He suspected something weird because he knows that you're almost _never_ an early riser. By the nightstand that used to be by the bed, he found your wedding ring lying there without a note or anything. All traces of you having lived in the same apartment just vanished, and it was like you just…_disappeared_. He spent the whole week asking around for you, notifying the police about your disappearance, and by the end, after having received no leads as to where you were, or even where you could've _possibly_ been, he temporarily called it quits. All those crumpled papers in his room right now are theories about what could've happened to you, and he's been heartbroken for months. The only thing keeping him in good spirits these days is Rosie. We all visit him every now and then to check if he's okay, and he's slowly getting better with coping, but he's definitely not over it. The fact that all he has to go by is the wedding ring you left him hasn't made him feel any better."

There were sullen looks all around, processing the overload of information. Finally, after a bit of silence, May decided to speak up.

"So, I'm missing in this timeline?" She looked slightly horrified at the possibilities of what was going to happen to her in the future.

"As of a few months ago, yeah. We have no idea where you could be, and the police have no idea either. That's probably why he kissed you this morning; he must've been half asleep, and after seeing your familiar face, thought that you'd returned after so long. It probably freaked you out, but you can't really blame him, right?" May shook her head quickly, no longer bothered by him kissing her, though it still seemed awkward in her mind. "We try to be optimistic these days, still keeping an eye out, but not being totally depressed all the time. Rosie cried for days after she realized that her mommy was gone, but she's trying to be strong, too. We take turns watching her for Drew to take the stress off."

"Seems reasonable," Brock interjected, but before he could continue, the bathroom door opened from behind them and out walked a now-showered and clean Drew. His hair was no longer bed hair, and his clean appearance gave him a more elegant look. He was eyeing Future Dawn warily…or, at least, he was eyeing her choice of clothing.

"I don't suppose you're going to go to the baby shower wearing _that_." Future Dawn pouted, displeased at his assumption.

"It's not like it's a super formal thing. Besides, since they live in this same apartment complex, I can just quickly change before heading over. I'm just waiting for Paul and Rosie to stop by and come get us." Drew shrugged at that, deciding to just hover over the table as it was out of seats. Just then, Ash realized something.

"Wait, you all live in the same apartment complex? I thought we were in different regions." Before Future Dawn could answer that, Drew stepped in.

"Right now, you're in LaRousse City. You, Misty, Dawn, Paul, and I decided that it would be a good, middle-ground location to live in, and it just so happens that we chose the same apartment. Now, if anybody would mind telling me what's going on, it'd be much appreciated." Future Dawn quickly filled Drew in on what was going on, with the five others jumping in at random moments to contribute their two cents, and by the end of it, Drew's face had a blank look on it. However, before he could give them feedback, the door to his apartment swung open, and a little girl with long, brown hair and emerald green eyes flew through the doorway, followed by a trudging, older Paul.

Paul's purple hair was still of shoulder-length, though it was just slightly short of touching, and his face was contorted in a frown as usual. He was much taller, about Drew's height, and he had more of a bulky muscular structure than Drew, though he hid it with a jacket and his turtleneck. His skin was still as tan as it had been before, if not slightly tanner, and his facial expressions weren't as hardened as they used to be. The little girl leading him, whom they identified as Rosie, dashed straight for her father and hugged at his leg in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Daddy!" In one swift moment, Drew had leaned down and scooped the little girl in his arms, returning her warm embrace and smiling just as warmly.

"Hey, Princess. How was spending the day with Uncle Paul?" His question was met with a cheery smile and sparkling green eyes.

"You'll never guess what Uncle Paulie did for me today!" From the doorway, Paul grunted softly at being called "Paulie." Future Dawn giggled at her boyfriend, standing up from the table to stride over and give him a quick peck on the cheek. The five future-goers were astonished at the pale pink that seemed to be appearing on the cold man's face. From Drew's end of the apartment, a small grin was making its way onto his face as he held his daughter.

"Oh? And what did Uncle _Paulie_ do for you?" He asked, stressing the nickname loud enough for Paul to hear. Paul muttered low curses under his breath, making sure that Rosie didn't hear them. Rosie, on the other hand, continued to grin like no tomorrow.

"He took me to the playground this morning, and pushed me on the swings, but then this really mean boy and his friends came up to me and started picking on me, so Uncle Paulie threatened them!" At this, the five teens sweatdropped, wondering what part of the threatening was meant to be endearing. Suddenly, Rosie's face changed to a thoughtful one, her finger poking at the side of her cheek. "But then, the boy and his friends called this really big guy to come over, and he was really scary looking. The big, scary guy called over some more guys, and they tried to beat up Uncle Paulie!" Drew suddenly laughed at that, eyeing the little girl with an amused grin.

"And did Uncle Paulie make it?" Rosie giggled cutely before punching her dad lightly in the arm.

"Of course, Daddy! He wouldn't be here if he didn't!" Drew glanced over at Paul and smirked at him, causing Paul to scowl slightly. "But he didn't fight them. He told them to back off and then he took me for ice cream! It was really fun!" Ash and co. had to wonder about the girl's definition of "fun." Drew lowered Rosie onto the ground and ruffled her hair, chuckling.

"I guess I have to thank Uncle Paulie then, huh? Why don't you go with Auntie Dawn and help her pick out an outfit to wear to the baby shower?" Rosie let out a loud cheer as she raced over to Future Dawn's waiting hand, taking it eagerly and practically dragging the poor woman out of the apartment. Once the two were out of sight, Drew leaned back against the wall behind him, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking amusedly in Paul's direction.

"Don't say it," Paul growled out, attempting to glare down the smirking, green-haired coordinator. His attempts failed.

"You're going soft, _Paulie_. I never knew you had it in you."

"Tch! Whatever." Drew shrugged, laughing lightly before taking on a more serious expression. Paul saw what was coming next.

"I hope you realize that you're going to be helping me track down these guys." Paul shrugged nonchalantly.

"No need. It's that pathetic gang of bikers a few blocks away. They've amassed more members lately." Drew shoved his hands in his pockets, his serious expression taking on a hint of devilish intent.

"That's perfect. We'll rendezvous there later after the baby shower. It's not necessary, but we can have Ash and Gary tag along. Maybe Kenny if he feels up to it." Paul nodded, an almost invisible smirk making its way onto his face. In the background, the others couldn't believe they were talking about beating up a bunch of guys so casually. It became blindingly apparent to them that nobody ever messed with Rosalind Hayden and got away with it. Suddenly, Paul eyed the five teens for the first time, as if he had noticed them only now. He chose not to say anything.

The apartment door opened from behind them, and they noticed that Future Dawn had changed outfits. With Rosie at her side, she tapped on the door three times to notify them of her existence.

"C'mon guys, if we don't hurry, Misty's gonna have a fit!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That…was such a bad ending. But I honestly didn't know where to end it. So, now we get an explanation of the kiss from last chapter, and a little background on how things are in the future. And, of course, getting back to the present isn't the only issue that Ash and company are facing, either. If it hasn't become obvious to you yet, the pairings that have been established in this story are Pokeshipping, Contestshipping, and Ikarishipping. Gary I'm still debating on. Oh, and there's Festivalshipping (Harley/Soledad), probably Shootsdownshipping, too. Brock's still in debate, also.**

**Just a little note to any readers out there, I'm going to be away until around the 30****th**** of this month, so I'm not going to be able to upload anything the entire trip. If I find time, I'll work on the next chapter, but it definitely won't be up until at least the 29****th**** or 30****th****. **


	3. Meet the Friends P1

**A/N: Okay, so I know it's just a tad bit late, but it's to be expected after having jet lag, right? Anyway, with the lack of sufficient internet, and accessible power outlets, it made it a little difficult to finish and post. There WAS internet, but the chances I got to use it, I hadn't finished the chapter yet. Sadly, my laptop doesn't have such a great battery life.**

* * *

><p><strong>A Date with Destiny<strong>

_Chapter Three:_

_Meet the Friends_

* * *

><p><em>LAST CHAPTER:<em>

"_No need. It's that pathetic gang of bikers a few blocks away. They've amassed more members lately." Drew shoved his hands in his pockets, his serious expression taking on a hint of devilish intent._

"_That's perfect. We'll rendezvous there later after the baby shower. It's not necessary, but we can have Ash and Gary tag along. Maybe Kenny if he feels up to it." Paul nodded, an almost invisible smirk making its way onto his face. In the background, the others couldn't believe they were talking about beating up a bunch of guys so casually. It became blindingly apparent to them that nobody ever messed with Rosalind Hayden and got away with it. Suddenly, Paul eyed the five teens for the first time, as if he had noticed them only now. He chose not to say anything. _

_The apartment door opened from behind them, and they noticed that Future Dawn had changed outfits. With Rosie at her side, she tapped on the door three times to notify them of her existence._

"_C'mon guys, if we don't hurry, Misty's gonna have a fit!"_

* * *

><p>"So, that's what the Drew I've always heard about looks like, huh?" The larger group of the future-goers and the future-dwellers had been split up into two separate groups, one consisting of the future-goers plus Future Dawn trailing just a few feet in front of them and the other consisting of Drew, Paul and Rosie. With the two men and the little girl a safe distance away, Dawn had chosen that moment to remark about the mysterious rival that she had heard about, but had been unable to attach a face to. "He's definitely a keeper, May. I only <em>wish<em> my rivals were _that_ hot."

Face flushing, May folded her arms roughly across her chest and huffed defiantly, "That is _not_ what he looks like. They may look similar, but the Drew _I_ know is _short_, _irritating_, and a complete _jerk_. They're _nothing_ alike! And I _don't_ like him like that!" From beside her, Max snickered.

"Ya can't argue with the future, May. Obviously, you_ must_ like him if you guys end up gettin' married."

"And having a kid with him, too," Future Dawn decided to add in randomly, slowing her pace so she matched theirs.

"I don't know if I should be surprised by the fact that May had a child first or not," Brock said thoughtfully, causing May to swing around disbelievingly in his direction, mortified that he would think so.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Ash jumped in, hoping to save Brock.

"It's just that, you guys had a lot of tension, and, well…" Ash stopped short, wondering whether to continue or not. "It was kind of expected," he finished lamely.

"Says the pot to the kettle," Brock cut in, smirking. "But with how you've been for all the time I've known you, I'm surprised you realize that lots of tension leads to that. Misty and I used to just think you were romantically retarded in every sense." Ash looked positively offended.

"Can't a guy focus on his dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master without being distracted by all that cheesy romantic stuff? I mean, it's not like I need it or anything…"

"And look where we're going now," Dawn and Future Dawn chorused, causing Ash to blush red before muttering darkly to himself. The two versions of Dawn giggled, only to be stopped by Drew's voice calling back to them.

"Dawn, Paul's calling for SOS over here! Rosie's discovered the wonders of Uncle Paulie's hair."

"Quit—calling—me—that!" Paul's voice bit out, only to be followed by an odd grunting and the cheerful laughter of a little girl. Future Dawn giggled uncontrollably before dashing past Drew towards the stairwell they would be climbing to reach the Ketchum's apartment. There was a loud struggle from the stairs, followed by the shrill sound of a girl getting tickled, and then a very suppressed growl from a disgruntled man. The next thing they knew, Paul was attempting to climb the flight of stairs with a very ecstatic Dawn latched onto his back and an equally joyous Rosie clinging for her life on his neck, weighing him down like a sandbag. Paul craned his neck so he could glare daggers at the green-haired man, who was so amused by the scene that he had pulled a camera out and was taking a picture, sending Paul a thumbs up.

"You'll make a wonderful dad, Paulie! Now, say 'cheese'!" A flash went off and Paul sent a feral look that would've had Drew six feet under if looks could kill.

"_I hate you_." A loud clang as Paul's left shoe slammed down onto the stairstep. A sneeze from behind, then sudden swaying, and Paul, Dawn, and Rosie found themselves in a two-thirds happy and one-third frustrated pile at the foot of the stairs they still had yet to climb. Paul's forehead found itself acquainted with the nearby railing as Future Dawn and Rosie giggled maniacally at their comical fall.

"I'd say that I love you, too, Paulie, but I wouldn't want Dawn to get jealous. C'mere, Princess, before the wild Paulie bites you." Rosie was in a giggle-fit as she jumped over Paul and raced towards her father, who swooped her up in his open arms and swung her around so she was latched onto his back, her arms encircled around his neck. Dawn awe'd at the scene, clasping her hands together and staring at the brown-haired little girl, who was humming happily into her father's neck.

"I just can't believe I ended up with _Paul_, of all people," Dawn muttered disappointedly. "At least the view's nice."

Drew chuckled as he slowed down to match their step, "You sound like a hormonally crazed teenager already, mini-Dawn, and you're what? Eleven or twelve right now?" Dawn pouted at the accusation, but chose not to answer to it.

"Daddy, what's a horm—_hormo_—"

Drew cut in quickly, "Don't worry about it yet, Princess. You'll learn all about it when you're older." With a dying grin, Drew muttered to himself, "And unfortunately, so will I."

"Say, Drew…" May trailed off, finding it slightly awkward to be talking to this older Drew. It wasn't just the fact that he had kissed her not ten minutes into her arriving at the future, it was just that he was…different. They weren't the same age in this timeline, which made it difficult to treat him like she treated the Drew back in her own time. The chartreuse-haired man craned his neck so he could show the younger May that he was all ears.

"Hm?"

"I was just wondering, but…you seem to be taking us—" She gestured to the rest of their little group, "being in the future pretty well. I mean, it's like you're not even bothered by the fact that we're here. That _I'm_," and she stopped again, hesitating and gauging his reaction before continuing, "ya know, _here_. When the other me isn't." She vaguely noticed that the rest of her little travel group had sped ahead, probably in response to some disaster happening at the stairs because of _certain_ people, and that left her, the older Drew, and their future daughter alone. She couldn't make heads nor tails of his reaction to what she had said, either.

"Wow, you're from the future?" Rosie suddenly asked excitedly, turning her own head around towards May. Drew laughed, but it was a hollow sound, and it sent a tiny shiver up May's spine.

"No, Rosie, she _came_ to the future from the past. _We're_ from the future in her eyes." Rosie's mouth made an "o" shape as she stared, wide-eyed, at May, who smiled bashfully back at her. As May waved lightly at the little girl, Rosie noticed something.

"Daddy, she looks a lot like Mommy." There was a finality in her tone, as if she had figured out the word she was looking for after having it on the tip of her tongue for a long time. Drew smiled, a bit sadly, May noticed.

"That _is_ Mommy, Princess. That's Mommy in the past. She's only a few years older than you." If it were possible, Rosie's eyes widened even further, and May was suddenly afraid that her eyes would fall out of their sockets.

"Daddy, she's so pretty!" May blushed at the strange compliment. "But…she's not as pretty as you kept saying she was. Were you exaggerating?" May wasn't sure whether to wince at the girl's bluntness, or blush some more at the hidden compliment from Drew's end. She chose the middle ground and went with doing both simultaneously. Drew smiled again, but this time, there was a nostalgic shine in his eyes as he stared out over the apartment complex's balcony. May followed his gaze, and she took in the sights of Future LaRousse City. The first, and only, time she had visited before, it was already high-tech beyond belief. Now, she could barely hold in a tiny gasp as she looked out at the city, at each spotless building painted and primed a blinding shade of white and at the largely modified robots floating about. It was much bigger than she remembered, but she couldn't be too sure. There was a severe lack of railways, but she didn't have time to question it because Drew had begun speaking again.

"I wasn't exaggerating, Princess. When I was younger, your mother was the most beautiful girl I had ever met, even when I didn't know her yet." He paused a moment, thinking over what he had just said. "You know, she's _still_ the most beautiful woman I've ever met. If she was standing here right now, I'm sure she would still be able to take my breath away." He grinned, now talking more to himself. It seemed that he was still addressing his daughter for the sake of it. A breeze blew over the balcony, softly weaving through his hair and giving May the feeling that he was surreal. It was like standing in a dream, looking at this man talking about his wife in so many words, and still conveying the anguished passion he held for her in her absence. May could do nothing to stop the soft smile making its way to her face, and looked slightly surprised when Drew suddenly turned to her, his grin still in place.

"Sorry if this sounds creepy coming from me at this age, but that's a gorgeous smile. I can't say I've forgotten what it looks like, even after all these years, but seeing it in person is so much better." May had the decency to blush lightly at the hardly concealed compliment, but continued to smile before giggling just as softly and turning towards the vast city before her.

"I never knew you thought of me that way. At first, I thought you were a complete and arrogant jerk. Then you helped us stop Team Rocket that same day, and I just felt like you were more a friend than an enemy. You were still a total jerk most of the time, and it made me want to prove myself to you all the more. Now, when I look back on it, I don't know if I should be thankful you were such a jerk because it really drove me to do my best so I could beat you one day. I considered you my first real rival, and sometimes, a friend. Then you started giving me roses all of a sudden, and everything suddenly became so confusing."

Drew laughed a little, and May could tell it was a bit more genuine, something that comforted her. "I was watching you for quite a while before your Frisbee almost hit me. Don't get the wrong idea from what I said earlier, I definitely thought you were cute trying to do your routine, but my twisted boy brain wanted to rile you up to see if you were cute when you were mad, too. And you wouldn't believe just how right it was. It was just such an interesting reaction that I made it a point to try and get the same reaction every time I saw you. It's terrible, I know, but when you're ten and you're travelling by yourself, you need _something_ to keep you entertained."

"And the roses?" May thought back to before Team Rocket had interrupted Dawn's explanation of thorn-less red roses, and took this chance to find out. She was also aware of the fact that Rosie had been quiet for quite a bit now, but her curiosity about the mysteries of her rival was just too great.

"In the language of flowers, thorn-less red roses symbolize love at first sight. If you don't want to get into specifics, a red rose by itself is already a declaration of love or respect. To be fair, the first few roses I gave you were purely out of respect. I began to respect your abilities as a coordinator, and because of my raging male pride, I couldn't really admit it outright, so I gave you flowers instead." May looked like she was about to ask something else, but Drew stopped her. "And before you decide to ask, no, I didn't plant those roses myself. I mean, I did later on after I realized it was becoming a habit of mine to give roses to you, but before that, they were roses sometimes sent to me from my mother as congratulatory gifts. I just plucked the thorns off of them." May closed her mouth, thinking about what her next choice of words would be. Fortunately, she didn't have to think of them, because from the balcony right above them, Ash's voice came shouting down.

"Guys, hurry up! We're gonna leave without you!" From beside him, Brock and Max could be heard laughing, and Ash turned to glare at them.

"Ash's just sore 'cause he's lost to Rosie three times in a staring contest already," Max called down through his chuckles, and Ash called him out on it. Rosie giggled openly at the two bickering boys, then buried her face into the crook of her dad's neck.

"Daddy, let's go! I want to play with Uncle Ash some more!" Drew shrugged nonchalantly, turning on his heel and taking long, quick strides towards the stairway. May jogged to keep up with him, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

"Wait, you haven't answered my question about you not being bothered by us being here yet!" In a moment of childish fun, Drew stuck his tongue out at her with a playful gleam in the eye he hadn't winked at her.

"That's a secret."

* * *

><p>"<em>Rosie!<em> It's so good to see you!" Ash and his fellow time travelers all visibly flinched at the powerfully loud, womanly voice accompanying a round-bellied woman, fiery orange hair left in an easygoing wave that hit just past her shoulders. With barely a fleeting glance at the rest of them, she easily shoved Drew aside after plucking his daughter off of him, sending him into the nearby wall.

"'Hi Drew, how's your loss been?' Oh, it's been okay. 'That's good to hear. Can I steal your daughter from you?' No, you may not. 'That's too bad,'" Drew muttered, recovering from his encounter with the dangerous wall. Misty didn't spare him even a glance as an older Ash Ketchum came stumbling out of the apartment around his wife, an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, Drew. Misty's just _so_ excited about the baby, and seeing Rosie reminds her of how adorable little kids can get." The first thing everyone unfamiliar with the future Ash noticed was his voice and how it had gone from being a monstrosity stuck at the crackly, pre-pubescent stage to a deep, rumbling hum. His body's muscle mass was really beginning to match all of the crazy physical feats he had endured on his Pokemon journeys, and he could now safely say he was taller than Misty. His hair was still as unkempt as ever, but it gave his slightly more angular face a certain charm that they didn't miss.

"How can I _not_ be excited? Ooh, I wish May was here so we could talk baby. I don't suppose your dad's much of a baby expert, huh?" Rosie snickered at her father, who feinted an offended look, completing the image with a hand over his heart.

"I'm _hurt_ that you would accuse me of being a bad father. Shame on you, Misty. _Shame_." Misty just stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to the crowding group of teens at her feet. They were staring at her, looking slightly stunned. Ash looked like he was going to open his mouth to say something, but closed it quickly before trying again, then rinsing and repeating. Right before it looked like he was going to utter something more than silence, the older Ash walked over to his younger counterpart and grinned childishly, poking younger Ash at the top of the head with his finger.

"Wow, I was really short back then, huh?" Future Ash then noticed something odd about his younger self. "Say, where's Pikachu?" Younger Ash came back to his senses for a second, looking around wildly for his tiny yellow Pokemon, only to be met with nothing. Right before Ash could enter a panic attack, Brock stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Ash. Maybe Pikachu wasn't sent through the blast. I'm sure she's fine." Ash looked a little more reigned, but still a bit panicky. He had never really gone on a long adventure like this without his choice Pokemon. This would be the first.

"Hey, does that mean _you_ have a Pikachu, too?" Max asked giddily, trying to look around the older Ash's legs. Future Ash laughed heartily, ruffling Max's hair and bringing his index finger up to his lips.

"Shh, Pikachu's inside, sleeping. She's had a rough night taking care of her own kids, but she'll be back up to enjoy the party. You can meet her later, okay?" Max nodded, mumbling a quick "'Kay".

"Wow Ash, you're really mature in the future. Why can't you be like that now?" May asked playfully, giggling at the affronted look on Ash's face.

Future Misty grinned, "Oh, Ash isn't _that_ much more mature now, are you Ketchum? Big stomach, lacking in manners, the works. Trust me, it's the same old Ash, he's just been given a new shell." Ash pouted from beside her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And you're still the same old Misty I remember, too. Hot temper, loud mouth, the _real_ works. Your pregnancy mood swings make it _all_ the better."

"Well I'm _sorry_, Mr. Pokemon Master Wannabe, but this is partly _your_ fault, too."

"I'll have you know that I _am _a Pokemon Master! And is it _my_ fault that _you_ suggested we not use protection so we could try and have a baby?" The forgotten audience watched the bickering, married couple in parts embarrassed that they were talking about this so openly—and _loudly_—and parts amused.

"Maybe you guys should have this discussion later," Future Dawn attempted.

"Well _excuse me_, _Pokemon Master_, but you could've said _no_!" Misty yelled back, ignoring the blue-haired woman entirely.

"You said a baby would make you happy!"

"That doesn't mean you _have_ to say yes to it!"

"It does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"_Does not!_"

"_Does too!"_

"Since when?"

"Since I married you and vowed I would do whatever it took to make you happy! That's when!"

"If it's not gonna make _you_ happy, then there wouldn't be a point! I vowed the same thing, you know!"

"Mm…nine points out of ten for good intentions," Drew stated in a strangely fashionista-esque tone, assuming the proper pose, "but presentation could use some work. And, _ugh_, that little girl in the middle of it? That _has_ to go. Let me take that off your hands." Rosie giggled at her father's imitation as she jumped out of Misty's arms, who hadn't even noticed the little girl leaving. Everyone except the bickering couple spared a few giggles and snorts at the weird persona change.

"Must you do that in such a fruity fashion?" Paul asked, no longer attempting to hide the smile that had cracked its way onto his face. Drew grinned, Rosie back securely in his arms.

"Paulie, one day, you'll learn of the magic that is comedy effect." Then, he switched back to his previous imitation, "And FYI, sweetheart, my sense of _fashion_ is _not_ fruity."

"Don't call me sweetheart. Or Paulie. In fact, just don't say my name, or any variation of it," Paul groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then he immediately regretted his wording as he could _feel_ the evil smirk making its way onto the green-haired man's face. Future Dawn must've seen what was coming, too, because she was already beginning to enter a fit of giggles.

"Oh, but Paulie, you _love_ it when I say your name every time I—"

"Don't you dare finish that."

"I almost can't believe you guys managed to be good friends when you met," Future Ash chuckled as Misty and Future Dawn shared giggle fits.

"Did you expect any less? Paul just _couldn't_ resist my charm. It's a gift, I tell you. A _gift_."

"Say one more word—just _one more_—and your daughter's going to need a new father."

"Hey, spare me. At least I didn't call you Paulie. Or sweetheart." Paul just grunted in response, not willing to take part in the conversation any longer. The attention turned back to Ash and Misty, whose fighting had stopped moments ago while nobody was looking.

"So, are you guys gonna come in or what? Can't have our guests standing out here all day," Ash grinned, sidestepping so the guests could enter the apartment. The apartment itself looked small and quaint, although it was now filled to the brim with colorful decorations and banners congratulating the married couple on their upcoming child. Food had yet to be laid out, but there was a heavenly smell wafting over from the small kitchen. One whiff of the smell sent several of the guests into a trance, drool beginning to dribble out of the corner of their mouths.

"Oh man, that smells even better than Brock's cooking! No offense, Brock-o," Ash amended quickly after seeing the slightly hurt expression on his face. Future Misty giggled, placing her hands on her belly.

"That _is_ Brock's cooking. Since neither one of us can really cook, even so many years later, Brock volunteered to come over and help out. You guys think it tastes good in your time, but you'll get a kick out of how heavenly it tastes now."

"Maybe you should ask your future self for some cooking tips, eh Brock?" Max proposed, but then stopped short. "Is it safe to say that Future Brock is a better flirt?" There was immediate silence in the room for a moment, with only the sound of cooking in the kitchen. Then, spontaneously, the whole room—besides the time travelers—burst into uproarious laughter. Well, maybe except Paul and Drew. Drew was snickering loudly while trying to hide it, and Paul was having trouble keeping a smirk off of his face.

"That's funny, Max. Really, it is," Ash said between snorts, causing Brock to fall into a self-deprecating corner. Suddenly, pots began clanging in the kitchen and out of the doorway came a tall, dark, and bulky man.

"I heard loud noises. Is something happening?" In an instant, they recognized him as Brock, his voice changing the least since he was already pretty old in their own timeline. His hair had changed little, and the only notable difference between him and the past Brock was height and, to an extent, muscle mass. He had on his cooking apron, and there was a frying pan in his hand, as if he were preparing to attack someone. He took a single glance at the now quiet room, all eyes on him, and lowered the pan slowly.

"Hey, Brock-o! Paul, Dawn, Drew, and Rosie came over, and they brought _us_! You know, us in the past," Ash called to the Pokemon breeder, who broke out into a small grin as he placed the frying pan securely on a counter.

"Really? That's good news!" It was? "While you guys were busy outside welcoming them in, we had another visitor. You know, from the past." The time travelling group looked shocked. Another person from the past appeared? Things seemed a bit odd to them, for a number of reasons.

"Who was it?" Dawn asked curiously, getting over her initial shock, but still surprised. There was a devilish smile on Brock's face, one that did not bode well with the rest of them.

"Misty."

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><p><strong>AN: So, how was it? If you're confused about what's happening, sit tight, because there'll be an explanation for what's going on later. Also, I couldn't resist putting in some Purpleshipping (That's PaulxDrew, if I'm not mistaken) because, to be honest, I feel like if they ever met, they'd be friends. I don't know why, I just feel like they would be, even though Drew's a somewhat arrogant prick and Paul's an ice block capable of **_**being**_** a huge prick. Next chapter will be something like a continuation of this chapter, and I'm hoping to throw something of an explanation in it so things are a little less confusing. Or, if I manage somehow, more confusing. But let's hope that's not how it turns out.**


	4. Meet the Friends P1Half

**A/N: Okay, so I'm sorry for being slow on this chapter, but school's starting up soon for me, and I'm focusing on getting ready to go back. Also, I've been a bit distracted by my return to the KND (Kids Next Door, for those who aren't familiar with it) fandom. But rest assured, I plan to continue working on this story when I can. **

**Getting back to the chapter itself, the reason why it's part one and a half instead of part two is because this chapter reveals another piece of the "past" (according to the future versions of the characters). There will be a lot of these chapters, or they will feature in bigger chapters, as a means of working towards the big idea that I've been planning. For now, Future May's whereabouts will be top secret, but eventually, you'll see how everything comes together. At least, I HOPE everything comes together as nicely as it does in my head. I highly doubt it, though.**

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><p><strong>A Date with Destiny<strong>

_Chapter Four:_

_Meet the Friends Part One and a Half_

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><p><em>LAST CHAPTER:<em>

"_Hey, Brock-o! Paul, Dawn, Drew, and Rosie came over, and they brought us! You know, us in the past," Ash called to the Pokemon breeder, who broke out into a small grin as he placed the frying pan securely on a counter._

"_Really? That's good news!" It was? "While you guys were busy outside welcoming them in, we had another visitor. You know, from the past." The time travelling group looked shocked. Another person from the past appeared? Things seemed a bit odd to them, for a number of reasons. _

"_Who was it?" Dawn asked curiously, getting over her initial shock, but still surprised. There was a devilish smile on Brock's face, one that did not bode well with the rest of them._

"_Misty."_

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><p>"You aren't serious, are you?" Future Ash asked, a wide grin on his face. From behind him, Ash stood, paralyzed, with a shell-shocked expression on his face. His mouth gaped like a fish and his eyes were reminiscent of a deer caught in headlights, but even as wide as they were, they could not utter a word or see past a blank stare. Concerned for his well-being, Dawn and May both took turns waving a hand in front of his face and snapping their fingers at him.<p>

"Ash? Helloo~ Anyone in there~?" May smiled when Ash came to, snapping out of his little trance.

In a small voice, he uttered, "Misty's…here?"

"Five points for the smart boy," Paul mumbled more to himself than anyone else, but they all caught it and stared at him, awed that he was cracking a joke. They were even more surprised that it didn't come out sounding sarcastic like it normally would've.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done to Paul?" Future Dawn demanded, but then, a thought came to mind. "…You've been hanging out with Drew too much, haven't you? Because this is what I expected from him, not you." Unwilling to answer, Paul just grumbled under his breath and turned away.

"Come to think of it, why _didn't_ Drew crack that joke?" May wondered aloud, which caused everyone to turn their attention to the green-haired man, who, to their surprise, looked less than humored. In fact, he looked downright thoughtful at the moment, and seemed to be ignoring the conversation going on about him. Misty padded her way over to him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder, causing him to visibly snap out of his reverie.

"Is something the matter, Drew?" The man turned to face a worried Misty, the one person in the room who shouldn't have been feeling any stressful emotions at the moment. He sent her a small, affectionate smile to reassure her that he was fine, and she sent a half-reassured look back at him. Future Ash looked on expectantly for some explanation, looking a bit peeved by the eye contact that seemed to last forever. The time travellers, besides Ash, caught the small irritation coming from the future Pokemon Master, and instantly they began to wonder why he seemed so…mad.

"Hey, uhh…future me?" Dawn tugged at the Future Dawn, whose attention was instantly caught. They were a little ways off from the two caught in some tug-of-war battle of reassurance-through-eye-contact, so their whispers went unnoticed.

"What's up?" Future Dawn whispered back as the other time travellers gathered around, plus Paul since he had nothing else to do. Dawn hesitated a moment, glancing from her future self to the almost jealous looking husband, before working up the nerve to ask.

"Why's future Ash look so, well, angry? I mean, it's not like Misty and Drew have anything going on, right? They're both married already…" Future Dawn bit her lip, turning towards Paul for some silent advice.

Shrugging, he said, "Tell them. Since they're here, it doesn't matter." Future Dawn nodded, as if something had just occurred to her. Turning back to the teenagers, all awaiting some sort of explanation, she began.

"You guys remember when I was telling you about what happened these past 15 years, right? And how Ash didn't actually ask Misty out until he was about 25?" There was a collection of nods. "So, in the ten years between your timeline and when they went out, Misty was still available. As in, she never had any dates because she was hung up over Ash." Ash looked shocked, but chose to make no comments because Future Dawn's expression stayed serious. "That year that May and I travelled together in the Kanto region, three years in the future for you guys, there was a party held in Cerulean City celebrating one of Misty's sister's birthdays. All of her sisters were over the age of 21, so there were alcoholic drinks there, and at the time, Misty was 17, not yet 18. Her sister told her that she should try to hook up with someone at the party so she could loosen up and get over Ash."

"Why would she do that?" Ash asked in an angry whisper, but Future Dawn's scalding look sent him back in his place.

"You're only 15 right now, Ash, so for your standards, you aren't old enough to understand. You have no idea how difficult it is for a girl to love a guy for so long, and have so little contact with him all that time without knowing where he is, what he's doing, and who he's with. It gets really awful." Ash looked like he was going to respond, but his friends stopped him, hoping that would cause the story to continue.

"Go on with the story," May offered, genuinely interested in seeing how this all played out.

"It just so happened that Drew was in Cerulean City at that time, and he caught wind of the big party. He was 16 at the time, and from what I'm told, he was really frustrated about something that day. The party was open to anyone and everyone, so, to get rid of his stress, he decided to join it."

"I think I can see where this is going now," Brock commented, a serious expression adorning his face as well. Unfortunately, none of the other younger party members understood where it was headed, so Future Dawn continued.

"Remember, Misty and Drew have never met before, only heard stories about the other from friends—that is, May and Ash. Since they've never met, they have no idea what the other looks like. You would think Misty would get a clue when you describe your rival as someone with green hair of that particular shade, but unfortunately for us, the description might've been too vague since a lot of people have unique green hair. By the time they met, Drew had had about three drinks that were spiked—that he had no knowledge of—and his alcohol tolerance isn't exactly the best. Misty saw him, just a little tipsy herself but with more control over herself, and I guess she thought he was older than he really was. The fact that he was really attractive—yes, I'm going to admit that I thought he was kinda hot when he was 16, don't give me that look, Paul—didn't really make the situation much better."

"And I'm guessing everything went downhill from there, huh?" Brock suggested gravely, pretty sure of how the story ended at this point. The others were beginning to catch on to what was happening, and May and Dawn both had the decency to gasp in horror and shock. Future Dawn simply nodded.

"You can expect the worst from there. To cover up for their misdemeanor, they attempted to try at a relationship, but found out all too quickly that it wasn't going to work out. Drew was the one who ended up breaking it off about three months later, taking the initiative that Misty seemed to be avoiding all that time. He told her that he couldn't live being in the lie anymore, and that he already loved someone, but they could still try to be friends. They agreed to never speak of the incident again, but it came up when Drew first entered his relationship with May and he felt that she was entitled to know about his and Misty's little fling. There was a huge argument, and—"

"Are you telling them that story?" All of their heads whipped around to find Drew standing there, looking a bit uncomfortable at the resurfacing of that story. Out of instinct, the teenagers hid behind the closest, safest thing they could find: Paul. In the background, Misty and Ash looked like they were having their own staring contest, though it didn't look hostile…yet.

"Sorry, they were wondering why you guys were being so suspicious, and—" Drew just sighed, running a hand through his chartreuse locks and sending them a sad, nostalgic smile.

"It's okay. What part of the story are you on?"

"The argument," Paul answered automatically. Drew blinked at Paul's contribution, but decided to go back to the matter at hand. Somewhere in the background, angry murmurs were heard.

"Ah…the big argument. I don't think I can ever forget that one. I told May about my short term relationship with Misty, and about our little rendezvous at the party, about a week into our new relationship. She yelled at me, I yelled back at her, and we exchanged angry, heated words until May broke out into sobs right in the middle of the fight. I remember my brain shutting down right then, a nagging feeling in my chest that was still struggling to tell me to stop right there and comfort her; that the fight didn't even matter anymore." He cut off then, and they could've misheard it, but they thought they heard his voice cracking. He swallowed hard, then forced himself to continue telling the tale, "But at that moment, I was just so _angry_, so _furious_ that she was accusing me of something I can't even be bothered to remember anymore, that, without even thinking, I lashed out and grabbed her wrist."

Future Dawn gasped quietly, "I never heard about this! May never told me that part…" Drew didn't seem to be listening to her, so lost in his memories that were causing him to shove back tears. He couldn't remember wanting to cry so much after remembering that particular story; it usually just made him sad and guilty. From out of nowhere, a shocked gasp from Rosie brought his attention to beside him where the little girl sat. The girl looked horrified. She rushed over to Paul's side, jumping at his arm so she could grasp it in an attempt at becoming secure, as if her father would lash out at her just as he had in the story.

"How could you do such a thing? I thought you loved her!" Dawn demanded harshly of the man, who winced at her voice. Setting his face in a determined stare, he looked up at his audience, holding his gaze at all of them and not faltering.

"I did, and still _do_, love her. But I was so mad then that I did it without thinking. I regretted it immediately when I noticed she was hurt, and suddenly, I didn't feel so mad anymore. At least, not at her. But by then, I was too late. She yelled at me some more, I tried to apologize, and she wouldn't have any of it. She left me standing there, in the middle of an empty road, where I got to sit in my guilt. For the longest time, she refused to speak to me, to be in the same region as me, to even _look_ at me. It was probably the worst period of time in my life, besides now. At least now, I can have some hope knowing she didn't leave because she didn't love me anymore, but against her will."

"How long did that go on?" Max asked quietly from his spot in the room, much to everyone's surprise.

"Eleven months." They were all shocked, even Future Dawn.

"So, you guys only really dated for two years?" Drew nodded, not bothering to answer vocally. "This is news to me."

"Us, too," came Future Ash's, Future Misty's, and Misty's voice as they all swung around to meet their eyes. Upon seeing Misty, Ash jumped up on instinct and ran to hug her, which she eagerly returned. Just as quickly, though, they pulled apart, both slightly pink in the face as their onlookers looked at them with knowing smirks. Future Ash, however, seemed to have other things on his mind that didn't include his past self's enthusiasm around his future wife.

"What I don't understand is why you guys got married so quickly after something like that. You get into some big fight that lasted practically a year, make up, and BAM! Two years later, you're married with a kid on the way. Seems rushed to me." An unknown look passed over Drew's face that left as quickly as it had come. After a bit of deliberation, Drew finally decided to answer.

"It's…a bit complicated. Something I'd rather not explain on a happy occasion like this. For now, I hope you'll be satisfied with my cheesy answer of 'true love conquers all'," he said, attempting to feebly bounce back from the dreary mood that had overtaken them. Paul, who stood off to the side where Drew couldn't see him, rolled his eyes at the answer, but didn't say anything.

"It'll have to do for now. I'm gonna go check on Brock, he must be lonely in the kitchen," Misty stated before waddling towards the small kitchen, her greeting to Brock and his greeting to her being heard as mumbles from the living room. The moment she was gone, the air grew rather awkward between Ash and Misty, both of whom refused to look at the other.

"And to think that only ten seconds ago, they were happy to see each other," Dawn murmured over to May, who nodded in agreement.

"You'd think it was awkward too if you were in the future with the person you'd eventually marry and have kids with. I'm just lucky Drew hasn't zapped in from out of nowhere," May mumbled back, a horrified look gracing her as she thought of just how much Drew would probably rub it in her face that she ended up being interested in him, just like almost every other girl.

"You might not want to jinx it, May," Max whispered in from out of nowhere, causing both girls to jump. "One of the party guests could come by with someone else you know from the past." From behind Max, Brock towered over their huddled position, causing them all to look at him.

"Max's right, they didn't seem at all surprised that Misty just appeared out of nowhere. I have a feeling there's something going on here."

"_Ash Ketchum! Get your butt back here right NOW!"_ There was loud crashing as the four time travellers looked up to see their two friends playing a dangerous game of tag, Ash desperately trying not to die avoiding becoming "it".

"Wow, an extra exclamation point. I wonder what he did _this_ time," May commented lightly, giving a bewildered stare as the two dashed around the living room, somehow not destroying anything by some kind of strange, fictional magic. The future versions of them ignored the clamoring in the background, seemingly discussing something else that sounded quite important. Amidst all of the destruction—or lack thereof—the apartment door swung open and slammed into the wall it was rooted in, causing everything in the apartment to cease.

"Ladies and gentlemen, make way for _THE Gary Motherfucking Oak!_"

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><p><strong>AN: Yep, the ending was rather random. But yes, I'm introducing in Future Gary. Will he have a time traveller with him? Who knows. I honestly don't know when the next chapter will be uploaded, but I'll try to fit it in. I'm kind of hoping for big explanations next chapter, so if I'm lucky, I can make it really long. For now, this'll have to do.**


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